7th Annual Willie Vasquez Memorial Run: In Joe's Words

In New Hampshire the locals say if you don't like the weather wait five minutes. Well, that's always true when I'm there. Summer or winter be prepared for precipitation.

Mark S. and myself left Long Island Friday morning for a easy ride up, meeting Bob B. for lunch somewhere in Ct. after he had already ate. Arriving at Gretchen's area we are greeted by John C., who was already set up, and Jim and Bob S., who had already polished off a couple, and of course rain. After a short shower and some talk we set up our camp sites and cooked meat. Bobby did a great job keeping a wet fire going by poking it with a stick while I tried to dry my socks over it. Brian and Matt rattled in later in Brian's big diesel pulling Evan's trailer. While they set up we cooked more meat. We turned in as the skies started lighting up and the rain started falling heavy.

Saturday morning brought cloudy skies but no rain. We got off to a late start because we didn't want to wheel with Mike G and Joe's friend Kevin without them. The guys from Bay State Jeep gave us some maps and we were off to run blue and black trails; so we thought. Brian, who had Matt to read the map was chosen as our fearless leader. The first trail, randomly picked, kicked our butts from the first turn on. The first obstacle was a wet, slippery climb loaded with holes, rocks, and stumps just big enough to grab axles and stop progression. John A. spotted most with just a few needing a pull. Twenty feet on was a rock ledge that needed a certain line for most of us to make it. Those two obstacle took a better part of the morning claiming Kevin's drive shaft and side lining the V8 powered Toyota. The rest of our morning was spent sliding and winching past a couple of tricky spots. I wedged the Yj pretty good and had to winch out to move on having John spot the rest of the way through. Mike Sussman had a fluid on the header leak which made lots of smoke and a stop to find it was just the steep angle overflowing the reservoir.

After a quick sandwich on the trail (sorry no BBQ) we moved on to the black and red sections of trail. Blaine tried a red section trying to squeeze a portly JK into a bikini. It didn't fit leaving a door handle damaged. After walking the black trail we decided it would take too long leaving too much damage so we turned around and worked our way back. By 4 pm we had finished one rather short trail and half the crowd called it quits. Bobby S. led the rest of the group on two really nice but difficult blue trails getting us out to the field tired and hungry. Out to dinner just as it started raining.

Day two brought us sun, warm weather, and an earlier start. Brian and Matt led the smaller group to a blue which went to a blue-black then on to some green trails. The green trails at Gretchen's are not easy or stock trails, they are just easier than the others. I think we all got stuck and most had to winch at least once on these green trails. Brian leading the way didn't see a rather large drop off and when the rear bumper slammed down the corner weld broke and a tail light broke. Bobby broke a bead over the same ledge. The day took longer than expected and we were on the trailer and out by 3pm.

The ride home bought us some trouble with Brian's tranny over heating and a flat on Blain's trailer. Blaine changed the flat before getting on the highway and Brian's truck made it home cooling half way at Cracker Barrel.

I think we all had a great time wheeling in New Hampshire and look forward to returning shortly.